Cons - Ears can be hot after a long listening session. A simple mod is needed to improve the issue.

I was thinking on getting a pair of headphone that is like TH900 but less harsh. I have always been a fan of TH900, but sibilance has been an issue since the first day I had them. The bass and the low end, yeah! the low end is AH-mah-zinggg. The clarity is detail and precise, but the highs doesn’t let me enjoy the music as much if not paired with the correct amp. Then, I decided to sell the headphone and get something that I could tolerate with. Then two weeks before the semester ended, I decided to go through the TH900 thread on Head-fi that leads me to this. Honestly, I don’t expect that it could better my other headphones that I own (or owned) especially at $80. But, I guess it is too early to judge.

Order process and the package

It took almost 3 weeks from the day I ordered and received the headphone from Aliexpress. I got them from the original seller, Takstar Audio, and they are easy to reach. Not bad at all compare to my other experiences ordering from China through different other websites. There are many options upon ordering, I get myself a metal hardcase with an extra 8 bucks. It was originally $72 but with the hard case, it added up to $80. I also find that the silver color looks more premium than the black and decided to get the silver. It arrived with the headphone in a metal hard case inside a Takstar packaging box. The case itself is pretty dope. A custom metal case that is made only for Takstar pro 82; Takstar Pro 80 might also fit the bill, but no other bigger cans can fit the case. I tried to shove my Beyerdynamic T90 and it doesn’t fit. Maybe something like ath-m40x or Sennheiser HD598 could fit the case since they have oval shape cups.

It also comes with standard accessories: 2.2m cable of 2.5mm to 3.5mm, a ¼-in adapter, a carrying case, a manual book and a warranty card. The manual does explain the bass boost functionality; it has 3 bass levels that elevates the 20-200Hz to 3 or 6 db on the second and third level. The cable comes with a standard 2.5mm to 3.5mm jack. Interesting enough, the 2.5mm out has 4 poles instead of the regular three poles. I am not sure if it’s a balanced out but there’s no different than other regular cable.

Features

• Ø40mm new NdFeB driver features high sensitivity, wide response range and large

I really like the silver Pro 82 because it has a premium look to it. With a 237g headphone weight without cable, it is lighter than my HD6XX. When you wear them, I swear that it feels even lighter than its weight. Despite the glossy metal looks, it is made mostly with plastic material; it does have a metal headband covered with a leather that stretched well. The thin earpads might be an issue to some but it fits perfectly to my ear. Honestly, this is the most comfort headphone that I’ve had on my head so far. Don’t let the thin earpads fool you; the comfort of this headphone is amazing!

Uniquely neutral with a slight fun sound to them. They resemble my past Fostex TH900 with non-fatiguing treble and better mids but less extended bass. It has a good tonal balance that allow you to listen to any music genre without missing anything. The clarity and imaging are amazing as you can pick up every detail that lies in the song with ease. It is difficult to find a headphone with this amount of detail for below $300. Soundstage is way above average especially with a closed back headphone. There are three bass level as I mentioned above but I personally prefer the standard level as it gives cleaner bass compares to 3 and 6 db increase in the bass. The treble is tuned perfectly as if the guitar is played in front of you, not lacking in detail here. Did I said that they never fatigue? I have heard the Audioquest Nighthawk with mojo in the past and I thought that the Pro 82 is a step above them with my current setup; it is not generally fair as my current system is better compare to the last time I auditioned the Nighthawk but just want to give an idea on how good this headphone is at its price.

Songs

Princess Chelsea – Cigarette Duet

I truly enjoy the headphone with this song as most of my other headphones are less punchy I would say. The drum hits just right and not overwhelm by any means. Good separation between both male and female vocals and with the soundstage size, everything just seems right. Although, it could be grainy at times due to poor recordings.

Lorde – Ribs

This song has a good sound separation across the spectrum and The Pro 82 benefits the song with its above average separation capability. The vocal flows really well with the busy background while not losing any bass extension. Treble is well controlled, but it could sound a little messy on the top end sometimes.

Queen – Another one bites the dust

This is an interesting recording as every mic is used close to the instruments and vocals that makes everything seems too close to you. A wider soundstage is needed for a more immense experience and Takstar Pro 82 did great, better than my HD6XX and come close to my T90 but less so than HD800. Thumping bass and strong male vocal response make this headphone flourished.

Kap Slap – Harbor

Treble could be an issue with electronic songs with V-shaped headphone. The Pro 82 does have a good and clean bass extension although it does not go low like TH900. It also doesn’t have those shrilling treble that fatigue your ears like TH900, HD800 or most Beyerdynamic headphones. The treble is there but never harsh that makes it works perfectly with EDM or electronic genre like Harbor by Kap Slap.

Madeleine Peyroux – Dance me to the end of love

A typical vocal jazz song requires a great vocal singer accompanied by jazz instruments; a headphone that could excel in both aspects are crucial for an enjoyable listening experience because it could be dull if it is too analytical or missing vocal strength with bassy headphone. The Pro 82 has a good tonal balance without being too analytical or v-shaped.

Sia – Candy Cane Lane

This song has a busy background that mix with a standout female vocal. HD800SDR mod is my preferences with this song because it has a great imaging to point out every single instrument being played without disturbing the main singer. It could add sibilance to some headphones and that is the reason why I preferred the SDR mod but as I mentioned, the Pro 82 never had an issue with sibilance recording. I am surprised that the Pro 82 did it pretty good but not in HD800SDR class. The Pro 82 has lusher mids and fuller sound even though the background might be too busy for the headphone.

Senar Senja – Dialog Hujan

Guitar timbre in this song is amazing accompanied by engaging male vocal and the Pro 82 did a great job in acoustic song. Two things that I seek in every headphone with acoustic song are good separation and engaging mids. Takstar Pro 82 does have both and at this price, it does surprisingly well. All you need is a good system that could bring out more microdetail from the song. Because, the mids is a little recessed when I compare the Pro 82 with HD800.

Amped or un-amped?

To my surprise, the Pro 82 scales greatly with better system. I had it pair with my main setup

and it sounds amazing, just like any mid-tier headphones Beyerdynamic T90 and Sennheiser HD650 that sounds awesome with the setup. Not lacking at all but perfectly fit in the system. I compared the setup with my two other sources, Pioneer XDP-100r and Galaxy S6 Edge, straight from the 3.5mm out and found that the bass is less clean and the mids are more veil. The drum hit is losing power and I am not enjoying the guitar timbre as much as I did with my main setup. I would say that it lacks nuance across the spectrum. It performs like a $200 headphone with XDP-100r and much lesser with S6 Edge.

How do they compare?

VS Beyerdynamic T90
Power and Clarity; two of the T90 traits that I really enjoyed even after almost two years of owning. The Pro 82 lacks in both but has a better treble extension that never harsh. I once thought that the Pro 82 has a similar sound with T90 but found that they are different headphones altogether. Bass in T90 is cleaner and more precise accompanied by amazing clarity in the mids. Whilst, Pro 82 has more quantity but not necessarily accurate and has more engaging mids despite lacks in clarity. Pro 82 has a tad wider and taller soundstage but T90 has better separations. If I only need one headphone, Pro 82 is a better choice than T90 due to its performance with any music genre. But, If I want to have more clarity, airy and focus more on reference sound, T90 is a better choice in this case. The T90 headband adjustment is kinda off, it is not really a big deal but annoys me at times while Pro 82 has a metal frame that will stick after being adjust. Both have great comfort but Pro 82 is better.

VS Sennheiser HD6XX (modded)

Laid back with engaging mids are what making me keep the HD6XX, but I always hope that it could do better in treble. Both have good tonal balance and bass quantity but Pro 82 does it better in bass section; cleaner and more precise. The stock headphone has a good mids but it improved with simple mod (the mod is shown in the Takstar Pro 82 thread). However, HD6XX has a more engaging mids especially with songs that focus on vocal, but Pro 82 seems to have more detail that makes the HD6XX sounds a little veil. The upper midrange is more concise in the Pro 82 that leads to more pronounced treble but never overdone. It is not laid back like HD6XX because it appears to have forward sounding. Yet, HD6XX is airier due to its open back feature. Kudos to Takstar on getting rid of the sibilance while maintaining a good treble amount. The clamping force on the HD6XX seems a bit too much but the Pro 82 has amazing comfort that can make you forget that you’re wearing a headphone. I enjoy both headphones and will alternate them depends on moods. Honestly, I don’t favor one over another in long term listening session.

VS Sennheiser HD800 SDR mod

Awesome clarity and huge soundstage. HD800 has advantage in these two aspects and with the right system, it will be the only headphone you need in life. The Pro 82 has a good detail but HD800 is more resolving but could also have unpleasant glaring at times. The Pro 82 sounds a little recessed compare to the HD800 but it has meaty sound to it; while HD800 can sound a little thin with songs that has bass thump. HD800 no doubt has a more accurate sound and great string timbre that I really like when listening to classical, jazz, and any busy songs. It picks up everything in the song while Pro 82 might miss some minute details in the same song. HD800 imaging and soundstage is a win hands down, in fact, only few headphones can better HD800 in this case if not none. But, I enjoy the Pro 82 more as it has a U-shape sound and works like a charm with any genre. Bass in HD800 is more accurate but Pro 82 has more quantity and bass thump. The treble in Pro 82 is pleasing with no sibilance while HD800’s treble could be annoying with stock mode. Interesting enough, both headphones scales greatly with better system. Both have amazing comfort, but I would put the Pro 82 comfort a level above HD800. If you want something that has more analytical sound and money is not an issue, I would go for HD800; but, if you want a fun headphone under $300, look no further because Takstar Pro 82 got you covered.

VS Massdrop x Fostex TH-X00 Purpleheart

Bass quantity and low-end. Fostex TH-X00 line up along with TH600, TH610 and TH900 are well-known with their great bass and low-end. TH-X00 PH has a good amount of bass but I found that Pro 82 has a cleaner and pleasing bass. The soundstage on TH-X00 PH goes wider and taller that provides more breathing space between you and the singer. To my surprise, despite the better soundstage, Pro 82 has a better imaging. The engaging mids with amazing clarity on Pro 82 makes TH-X00 slightly recessed and distant. I remember that the top end is fatiguing on Fostex headphone but less so with my system. With the smoother treble, I really enjoy TH-X00 PH and decided to listen to them for another 30 minutes before I put the Pro 82 back on. Then, I played the same playlist again but through Pro 82 this time. I realized that I missed the meaty and lush sound with TH-X00. TH-X00 PH has thinner sound but better upper midrange. It has more micro detail in the treble, albeit fatiguing in long hours of listening. The Pro 82 is more forward sounding and has a pleasing treble extension. I enjoy both headphones but no doubt that I enjoy the Pro 82 more than TH-X00 PH in most songs. Do they have the same sound signature? I would say no because Pro 82 is forward sounding with a slight U-shape sound while TH-X00 PH has a larger soundstage with V-shape sound. Pro 82 wins in both isolation and comfort but only by a small margin. Is the TH-X00 a worthy upgrade from Pro 82? If you’re looking for a better low-end and soundstage while sacrificing the clarity and mids, I would say yes. Otherwise, I would say no.

Overall

For its price at $72, it is an absolute no brainer. It is difficult to find a headphone that scale so well at this price point. While some companies out there moving towards a high-end product that could only satisfy one percent of the consumers, there are still companies like Takstar that aim to bring an excellent quality product at a more accessible price. Again, I can’t suggest this headphone enough to anyone out there that want to know what does price/performance really is. I am looking forward to listening to any future products from Takstar, maybe a Takstar Pro 84? We never know.

New champion of a slightly U-shaped signature
Written by BenF
Published May 21, 2017

5.0/5,

Pros - Great improvement over the famous Pro 80, in both sound quality and comfort.
Addictive bass with great impact and decay.
Slightly recessed, yet clear mids.
Well extended and detailed treble, doesn't get hot or sibilant.
Very good comfort
Removable cable

I used to love Takstar Pro 80. In fact, I bought two of them (still have both).
I have even recommended them to some of my friends (who ended up being very happy with them).

However, Pro 80s were too U/V-shaped for me, and it took forever to burn them in to get rid of the extra hot treble.
I've moved on to better cans, but kept my eye on the inevitable replacement.

The replacement was teased for months, and as soon I saw one for sale, I jumped on it immediately.
This may be the first one to get out of China, but it's definitely not the last one...

Meet the Pro 82:
It comes in the famous Takstar case.

I chose the black ones over the silver ones - no regrets here!
Gorgeous headphones, plain and simple.

It comes with a soft case, 3.5mm/6.5mm adapter and a 2.2m cable (2.5mm inside the cup, 3.5mm on the other end).
Takstar continues the tradition of providing cables that are too long.Edit 28 Dec 2017: in the new revision that is being currently sold,the cable has the perfect length - 1.6m.

Now let's get to it!

Comfort:
Comfort is greatly improved compared to Pro 80.
The pads are larger, thicker and made of better materials. They are fully "over ear" for me, when Pro 80 was a definite "on-ear". If the NVX XPT100 with the ComfortMax pads is 10 out of 10 comfort-wise, and Pro 80 is 6.5 at best - Pro 82 is an 8 at least.
Pressure on the head is acceptably delicate, yet the headphone sits securely.

Above you can see a ComfortMax pad sandwiched inside Pro 82.
As you can see, it is slightly larger, and quite a lot thicker.
Judging from my experience with Pro 80 (and others), putting much thicker pads instead of originals will
likely have a negative effect on the sound, but I may experiment later with other pads of similar thickness.

Isolation/Leakage:
There is very little leakage outside, if AC is on in the room - no one can hear what I'm listening to from 2 feet away.
Isolation from outside noise - these are perfect for a noisy office, but not for bus/train/plain.
Another reason not to replace pads - I'm quite sure other pads will result in worse leakage/isolation.

Bass
It's fantastic! Great impact with a full body, followed by a perfect decay.
Such bass is hard to find in headphones at any price, impossible at this price point.

However, to attract "bassheads", Pro 82 has a new feature - bass boost.
You can boost the bass 3dB or 6dB, and (according to Takstar) it shouldn't affect FR over 300Hz:
Well, this graph is absolutely incorrect. Using 6dB boost totally ruins the sound, and while 3dB
doesn't have as much of a negative effect, it's still unpleasant. Not only does the bass becomes flubby,
but the tonality of everything changes too, Pro 82 sounds hollow and honky. Strongly advise to stay away from this feature.

So is this not the headphone for bassheads? Not necessarily. Take a look at the graph above -
the bass is already boosted 5dB over the mids. So this is definitely a bass-heavy headphone.
It will still attract audiophiles, because it doesn't bleed into mids, and the quality of bass is up to the highest standards.

Going back to the graph above, don't expect the bass to be linear down to 20Hz - there is a drop-off below 80Hz.
The headphone is specced down to 10Hz - I could still hear quite a lot at 15Hz - so a healthy subbass is present.

Here you can see the bass ports closed (no bass boost)

Here can see the bass ports fully open - a 6dB boost.

Mids:
The mids are somewhat recessed - this is a U-shaped headphone, but not as much as Pro 80.
The timbre of voices is nearly perfect. If only they would step forward a bit!
I think it's because of the recessed mids that I find myself listening at slightly higher than usual volume - at lower
volume Pro 82 doesn't sound as impressive.

Treble:
This is the most surprising part.
Pro 80 had a very hot treble, which took several months of heavy usage to tame.
Still, it could be too hot sometimes, and sibilance would raise its ugly head occasionally too.
Pro 82's treble is as detailed and brilliant as Pro 80s, but it doesn't get too hot, and it avoids sibilance like a ninja.
Here is a great track to test sibilance:
Even before Taylor Swift starts singing, Brad Paisley (the host) sounds like a love child of Duffy Duck and Silvester on most headphones.
Not on Pro 82! All the detail is still there (this is not a dark headphone), but sibilance is totally gone!

It is crucial to understand that the red and blue lines in the Pro 82's FR must be ignored - they represent the "bass boost" feature.
The green line is the only one we care about.

Pro 80 - The mids are about 7dB (from 300Hz to 3.5kHz) recessed compared to the bass
Pro 82 - The mids are about 3dB (at 1KHz) to 5dB (at 300Hz) recessed compared to the bass
Conclusion - Pro 82's mids are less recessed than Pro 80's

Pro 80 - The treble has a sharp dropoff of 8dB from 3.5kHz till 4kHz, followed by a sharp rise of 15dB till 5.5kHz
Pro 82 - The treble has a much slower decline of 10dB from 1.2kHz till 3.5kHz, followed by a slow rise of 15dB till 8kHz.
Conclusion - Much slower changes in frequency response are the reason why Pro 82's treble doesn't get as hot as Pro 80,
and clarity is improved. Moving the peak from 5.5kHz to 8kHz must have contributed to removing sibilance.

Conclusion:
This is a huge improvement over Pro 80 - all over the frequency range.
Comfort and isolation are improved as well.

All of the impressions are OOTB through Oppo-HA2 .
I'll put it to burn-in, but I honestly can't see it improving much over what I'm hearing.

New discounts are provided regardless of coupons and "seller discounts" available - just write "Head-fi" in the order message after placing the order and wait for the price to be adjusted!Pro 82 (without case) + SMSL Idea - final price 138$ when using "free" shipping optionsPro 82 (with case) + SMSL Idea - final price 146$ when using "free" shipping optionsPro 82 (without case) - final price 65$ when using "free" shipping optionsPro 82 (with case) - final price 75$ when using "free" shipping optionsSMSL Idea - final price 78$ when using "free" shipping options
If you choose the non-free shipping option, the price will be adjusted accordingly to reflect the shipping price.

Long story short, I found out about the Takstar Pro 82 Headphones on shady china thread when they first appeared a while back. I was an owner of the Sony MDR-1A Headphones previously. With that said, I just had to make a review about the Takstars while putting them in contrast to the MDRs due to the uncanny resemblance of their design cues and also the jarring difference in price with the MDRs retail price standing in around US$119.99 to US$249.99 while the Takstars stands at US$69.99 to US$79.99 also depending on whether you ordered it with the box or not.

Predecessor: The Takstar Pro 82 obviously is the successor of the Takstar Pro 80 which were modeled after another famous pair of headphones which were the Beyerdynamic DT880 Headphones. Takstar succeeded in replacing the already good Pro 80 with an even better headphone which just nails the top award for price to performance ratio in my opinion. Lets find out why.

The Good:
First and foremost, these are extremely comfortable to wear as it is. No modding, no pad exchange necessary. Comfort always comes to my mind after being spoiled by good cushions (brainwavz etc). Are they more comfortable than the MDRs? Maybe. It depends on personal preference, but these two are pretty on par with one another for all comfort is concerned. The MDRs are one of the most comfortable headphones you could buy on the market, now let that sink in.Oh yeah, the image above, I stuck Velcro on the headphone for a detachable microphone. A man needs his mic.

Now on to the cable, manufacturers usually screw up with proprietary cables that are either too long or a nightmare to keep in your pockets when bundled up. Cables of the Pro 82 are just the right length at 1.6m long with decent coat and not so much of a memory when bent.

The sound. In car buying terms, imagine buying a car that can run and feel somewhat as good as a nice BMW whilst paying less than half of what the nice BMW costs. This is what it feels like owning the Pro 82 after having the MDRs. It sounds V-ish to me.

Lows: There are Bass Ports on both cups which can be selected in positions I would call "closed", "Stage 1 boost" and "Stage 2 boost".
Closed - tight punchy bass that comes standard with good presentation but lacking in mass.
Stage 1 boost - Overall adds more mass to the bass (especially the Mid-bass section being more present)
Stage 2 boost - Bass bleeds and muddles the other ranges but is evermore emphasized.
My preference is at Stage 1 boost. Gives things a little more weight which i like.

Mids: Clear and well defined albeit recessed like a wide U from what my ears could tell. Lower Mids could use a bit more umph.

Highs: Surprisingly good. It has a lot of reach I can tell you that, but occasionally sibilance could be heard if the track is pushing the highs.

The Bad:

A 4 pole 2.5mm jack which no one knows why it happens to be that way. The drawback is mostly towards the fact that its a 2.5mm jack that terminates at the Headphone side of the cable. This limits the options of getting a replacement cable BUT it still is good news that this is a generic 2.5mm jack and not one of those proprietary terminations Sennheiser or Sony uses in some of their products.

Plastic for the hinges. This somewhat compromises durability in theory. Compared to the MDRs, I wouldnt want to keep throwing these into my bag on the go frequently. I could give the MDR an 8/10 for durability and a 6/10 for the Takstars from what I could feel. But hey, the Takstars are 10/10 for its affordability. So, bear that in mind too.

The Ugly:If i could stick a Sony logo on there, I would.

Conclusion:Like I said, In my opinion, yes. These are the best bang per dollar headphones on the market right now. Especially when compared to its other china counterparts. This reminds me of the SHP9500 hype. An absolute must try for the price.

Before I start, allow this message to serve as a pre-requisite; This review is simply a reflection of my preferences. YMMV

About Takstar:

Figure 1.1 Takstar Monitors for Stage use.

Takstar is a company based in Shenzhen, China. Originally founded in 1995, Takstar serves an OEM for large "audio" focused conglomerates such as Beyerydynamic and Sony. From what I've gathered, Takstar has produced its own inspired line of products, ranging from Microphones to Studio-related equipment at low prices. Recently, Takstar released a new pair of headphones named the "Pro 82", a direct successor to the Takstar Pro 80 (modelled after the Beyerydnamic Dt880). At a measly 72 SGD, its hard to resist the urge to snag a pair, especially with its comprehensive accessories package (we'll talk more about that later).

I have to say, Takstar did not skimp on the accessories. All is provided for the consumer to use the headphones right out of the box. Need ample protection? Use the Takstar Flightcase. Want to take it outside? Use the provided pouch for portability. Takstar has got you covered.

Its the little details like a "Certificate of Authenticity" that really adds to the experience. Did I mention that the entire package costs 70 dollars?

Build and Comfort:

Figure 3.1- Sony MDR 1R vs Takstar Pro82.​

Lets talk about the elephant in the room; the Takstar Pro 82 clearly draws its design cues from previous iterations of the Sony MDR 10r. The resemblance is uncanny. From the pleather headband to its hinges, the Takstar is a clear ripoff. My guess? The schematics for the MDR 10r were probably designed by Takstar, serving as the OEM on behalf of Sony.

There are some notable differences; one being the bass ports below the earcups and the yoke holding the earcups themselves. However, it is fairly common for chinese companies to replicate design choices of other reputable brands.

Apart from that, this doesn't feel like a $70+ headphone. It easily outdoes the competitors in the same price bracket. The plush headband is reinforced with steel hinges while the ear-cups are made of anodized stainless steel (an uncommon sight on a budget headphone). It is important to take note that the yokes holding the earcups are made of plastic. At this price point, thats something one would expect. Unlike the Sony MDR 10r's, the Takstar's earpads are of a higher quality. The pleather pads easily shapes to the contours of my ears.

The only point of contention I have is with the cable, I dislike 2.5 mm terminations. A 2.5 mm jack doesn't exactly feel substantial (build wise). Judging from the length of the provided cable, this pair of headphones was clearly designed for home/studio use. A more apt choice would be a 3.5mm termination for easily replacement (if the current cable gives way in the near future). Nevertheless, the included cable is well sheathed, easily malleable and doesn't retain memory.

Tracklist:
Gagarin- Public Service Broadcasting
No Deal- Melanie de Biasio
Make the Road by Walking- The Menahan Street Band
Michigan- Milk Cartion Kids
Down on the Street (Remaster)- The Stooges
Ladies and Gentlemen, We are Floating in Space (Moles Studio Mix 7)- Spiritualized
Waiting around to Die- Townes Van Zandt
Here Before- Vashti Bunyan
If you need to, Keep time on me- Fleet Foxes
Honey and Smoke- Case, Lang and Veirs.

On first listen, the Pro 82's are incredibly V-shaped. Not a mild-V, a DEEP V.

Treble: While it borders on "sibilant" to my ears, I would say it decays at the "right time". With "Down on the Street", the treble decays at the right time, without too long a sustain for it to be "uncomofortable", especially with the piss-poor recording quality of the Stooges.However, the strident "S" notes might prove to be fatiguing to some.

Soundstage and Imaging: Being a closed back headphone, there would be some limitations to its soundstaging abilities. With that in mind, the Pro 82's surprisingly exceeded my expectations in this area. The soundstage, while not the widest, is pretty coherent to my ears. With tracks like "Gagarin", the placement of each instrument is distinct. Pair that with a forward treble and we have a realistic 3D sound-stage that remains coherent.

Highs: This is one ballsy headphone. The highs are extended to soaringly high levels without skipping a beat. In this case, it's a double-edged sword. While the highs elevate certain tracks with a lower-mid focus (Here Before and Honey and Smoke), certain tracks with horn sections (the Menahan Street band) start to sound "brittle" and "harsh". The "metallic shimmer" is often characteristic of cheaper headphones so it is easily forgiven.

Mids: I'll admit, I'm not a big fan of the mids. The lower-mids (a personal preference) are clearly lacking. Don't get me wrong, the upper mids are clear and well-defined. On the other hand, the lower mids are scooped out of the mix, thinning the entirety of its mid-section. Tracks such as "Michigan" lacks enough body for it to complement the song's tonality.

Lows: This is where the Takstar shines. The Takstar features 3-tunings with the adjustable notches below the earcups. They are "Flat, Boosted, Full Boosted"

Flat- Clean and fast bass with good body. Sub-bass rumbles with immediacy.

Full Boosted- Fat Mid-bass bloom. Fun, but it overshadows the rest of the mix. Sub-bass rumbles with more authority but bleeds into the mids.​

Do take note that the Takstar Pro 82 responds well to amping. It is however, power-efficient at 32ohms so it is easily driven out of any portable sources.

Comparisons:

Emu Walnut vs Takstar Pro82: The Emu Walnuts are a modded rendition of the Creative Aurvana Live, one of Tyll's (of Inner Fidelity) recommendations on his Wall of Fame. Unlike the Takstar Pro 82, the walnut are veiled-sounding, with a more intimate mid-range and more lower-mid bloom that adds to its richer tonality/timbre representation. Treble is typical of biodynamic drivers, being both dry and coarse in its reproduction. The Takstar Pro 82's are miles away from the Walnuts, with an "in your face" sound signature and punchy mid-bass.

Sony MDR 10r vs Takstar Pro82: A fair comparison. The MDR 10r is much warmer and laidback, with nice balance across the spectrum. Mid-bass is nice and tight, sub-bass is tasteful. The mids feel full without being too forward. Despite the shared parentage, they differ substantially in its performance.

Conclusion:

The Takstar Pro 82's are over the top in its presentation. It isn't exactly aligned with my personal preference but they never ceased to impress. Its dynamic sound, paired with its accessible price is hard to argue with. For audio enthusiasts looking for a fun, engaging listen, it's hard not to recommend the Pro 82's.